Mickey's PhilharMagic

Mickey's PhilharMagic
Magic Kingdom
Land	Fantasyland
Designer	Walt Disney Imagineering
Attraction type	3-D film
Opening date	October 3, 2003

Mickey's PhilharMagic
Hong Kong Disneyland
Land	Fantasyland
Designer	Walt Disney Imagineering
Attraction type	3-D film
Opening date	September 12, 2005

Mickey's PhilharMagic
Tokyo Disneyland
Land	Fantasyland
Designer	Walt Disney Imagineering
Attraction type	3-D film
Opening date	January 24, 2011

Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 4-D film attraction found at the Magic Kingdom theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and at Tokyo Disneyland. The film was directed by George Scribner, who is best known for directing Disney's 1988 animated film, Oliver and Company. Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 12-minute long show featuring 3D effects, scents, and water as well as a number of characters from Disney movies. It is shown on the largest purpose-built 3D screen ever made, at 150 feet wide.

Locations

At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Mickey's PhilharMagic is located adjacent to Peter Pan's Flight and the Fantasy Faire shop in Fantasyland. This is the fourth attraction to utilize this show building. The theatre originally hosted the Mickey Mouse Revue. Later, it was the home to the 3-D Magic Journeys film after it left Epcot's Journey into Imagination pavilion to make way for Captain EO. Most recently, it was home to the stage presentation Legend of the Lion King.

At Hong Kong Disneyland, Mickey's PhilharMagic is located adjacent to Royal Banquet Hall in Fantasyland.

At Tokyo Disneyland, it takes the place of The Mickey Mouse Revue, which was originally located at Walt Disney World before moving to Tokyo Disneyland as one of its original attractions.^[1]

Attraction development

The attraction is unique in being one of a very select amount of attractions in the Disney theme parks in which Walt Disney Imagineering has collaborated with another division of The Walt Disney Company - in this instance, it was Walt Disney Feature Animation. This same partnership developed the Fantasmic! shows at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Legendary Disney animator Glen Keane re-rendered Ariel from The Little Mermaid in 3D, returning after rendering her in 2D in the original film. Nik Ranieri, supervising animator of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, also returned to animate that character in 3D. Most of Donald Duck's dialogue is actually archival recordings by his original voice actor, Clarence Nash^[2]. Tony Anselmo, Donald's current voice actor, recorded only five new lines for the character in this attraction (such as the scene where Donald Duck hums to the tune of the song "Be Our Guest".)

Plot synopsis

Mickey Mouse is performing with his PhilharMagic Orchestra at the Fantasyland Concert Hall. Inside, there are posters advertising the Concert Hall's past productions and performers, such as Hades from Hercules, Genie from Aladdin, The Big Bad Wolf, and The Three Little Pigs. Upon entering the theater's lobby, guests pick up their "opera glasses" (3-D glasses). During their wait, guests hear orchestral music from Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 and other Disney animated films.

Goofy, the Concert Hall's stage manager, admits the guests into the main theater, where final preparations for the performance are underway. Minnie Mouse then tells the guests to put on their "opera glasses." Minnie then realizes that Donald Duck has gone missing and goes to tell Mickey. Goofy then raises the curtain to reveal that the stage is empty, except for a conductor's podium and Donald, who is sleeping in a box. Mickey races onto the stage in a hurry, quickly telling Donald to unpack the instruments. Mickey places his famous Sorcerer's hat on the podium, then leaves, telling Donald, "And don't touch my hat!"

After Donald unpacks all the instruments, including a grand piano, from the small box, he is tempted to try on the Sorcerer's Hat himself. He does so, which causes the magical instruments to come to life and play an extremely unpleasent melody. However, when Donald bullies a small flute, the other instruments rise up, creating a whirlwind of magic and music. Donald loses the hat in the storm and passes through different scenes from different movies while trying to retrieve the hat. After the whirlwind passes, Donald finds himself in the dark with Luemire, the candlebrara, who begins to sing "Be Our Guest." You can smell the food, and when the bottles pop, you feel a quick blast of wind in your face. The dark comes back for a second. When the light focuses, we find ourselves in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," where Donald has shrunk. The walking brooms come in, spilling water on Donald. You feel the water on your lap. A broom Donald's size comes in, carrying a big bucket. Donald snatches the bucket away, but only gives it back when a giant broom comes in. The giant broom spills water on Donald, taking us to "The Little Mermaid," where Ariel is singing "Part of Your World." At the end of the song, an electric eel shocks Donald while trying to kiss Ariel. We are now in "The Lion King," where Simba is singing "I Just Can't Wait To Be King." After that, we go to "Peter Pan," where the chourus is singing "You Can Fly." Peter sprinkles pixie dust on Donald, which gives him the ability to fly. Finally, we go to "Aladdin," where Aladdin and Jasmine are singing "A Whole New World." This time, Donald retrieves the hat, by Jasmine placing it on his head. Unfortuantly, The hat gets knocked away by Iago, and Donald jumps after it. He encounters the magical whirlwind you remember from earlier. Donald gets sucked inside, finding himself back onstage, still in the whirlwind. Mickey returns, puts on the hat, and uses it's powers to restore order. As Mickey does the performance, Donald gets knocked into a tuba. As a fitting end, Donald gets shot from the tuba and into the theater's back wall.

Cast

English cast

Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck Clarence Nash (Archival recordings) Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse Bill Farmer as Goofy Jerry Orbach as Lumière

Jodi Benson as Ariel Jason Weaver as Simba Rowan Atkinson as Zazu Brad Kane as Aladdin Lea Salonga as Princess Jasmine Gilbert Gottfried as Iago

Japanese cast

Most of the original voice cast reprised their original character roles in each of their own respective Disney films, excluding Peter Pan (who had a different voice), Donald Duck, and Simba (with archival recordings). According to Disney staff members at Walt Disney World, an estimate of about 80 talented musicians and/or background singers performed the music for the film as well as the return of famed composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin) and lyricist Tim Rice (Aladdin, The Lion King), who arranged the music for each song they had worked on since some verses or lines of these songs were omitted for this attraction.

References

1. ^ "New Attraction at Tokyo Disneyland Park". Oriental Land Company. 2008-11-05. http://www.olc.co.jp/en/news_parts/20081105_02e.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-05. 
2. ^ Kevin Rafferty. "With a Little Help from His Friends". Tales from the Laughing Place #15. pp. 5–11. 

External links

• Walt Disney World Resort - Mickey's PhilharMagic
• Hong Kong Disneyland - Fantasyland
• Tokyo Disneyland - Fantasyland